Search form

You are here

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day in your country? In the UK it's the most romantic day of the year!

February 14th is traditionally a celebration of love, so how do people in the UK mark the occasion?

Cards

Sending a Valentine's card to a loved one is a custom that started more than a century ago. Couples give cards to each other, but it is also traditional to send an anonymous card to anyone you secretly love. This practice is particularly common in schools and can be a source of great amusement and embarrassment as everyone tries to work out who sent a card and who has a secret admirer! Valentine's Day symbols on cards include hearts designs, doves, and the figure of the winged angel, Cupid.

Poems

The card might also feature a poem. Probably the most famous lines from a Valentine’s Day poem are:

Roses are red, violets are blue,
Honey is sweet, and so are you.

There are some ironic variations on this poem such as:

Roses are red, violets are blue,
You look like a monkey and smell like one too!

Mobile love

Millions of people use digital means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greeting messages such as e-cards, or printable greeting cards. Texting your Valentine message is an easy (although maybe not very romantic!) option. Valentine's Day text messages include:

Flowers and chocolates

As well as cards, February 14th is also a day for giving gifts. Traditionally, men give chocolates or flowers to their wives or girlfriends. There are lots of websites offering advice on which Valentine’s present to buy. Popular choices last year included: an mp3 player, red roses, a box of chocolates, a CD of romantic songs, a phone, jewellery, a photo frame or perfume.

Unusual gifts

Some people think that flowers and chocolates seem a little ordinary and so they look for a more unusual gift. For romantic people with plenty of cash these gifts could include: a helicopter flight, a balloon ride, the chance to test-drive a Ferrari, an all-day session at a health club. Others, however, complain that Valentine's Day is yet another opportunity for ever-increasing commercialism. For true romantics the gift of love is enough. Valentine's Day is a popular day to either propose or get married - you'd never forget your wedding anniversary!

Valentine’s Day: Love it or hate it?

We asked a few Brits about their views on Valentine’s Day and here’s what they said. Following the tradition of Valentine’s Day all the comments below are anonymous.

We do not celebrate Valentine's day, but if someone love with each other in my mind there is no need for Valentine's day for lovers every day even every second is valentine's day moment, please enjoy your life with lovers, wherever you are.

We celebrate Valentine’s Day at school. It's a good tradition. Everywhere we can hear the laughter and see the smiles. It's great. But as for me, I can't understand this holiday. I think it's a good way to get flowers and chocolate. I love chocolate ^_^ But Valentine’s Day isn't for me.

Yes,we celebrate valentine's day,we do the same things<3It is sweet to see couples on the streets.I never got a present or a card or flowers but a child wrote my name on the school wall with big letters,this is my experience.XD lol

I'm from Turkey. We celebrate this day but it's not a tradition to give cards anonymously here.
Couples give presents to each other. But , as you know women more cares about presents so men's presents are much more important than women's present.
Some Turks think that Valentines Day invented by malls :D I agree the shop owners earn a lot money before Valentines Day. :D